If Only Singaporeans Stopped to Think

Thursday, 22 November 2018

Employment Act changes give workers greater protectionUpdates reflect changing profile of Singapore's labour force, workplace practices: Manpower Minister Josephine Teo
By Yasmine Yahya, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 21 Nov 2018The law that protects workers' rights has undergone a major transformation to include all private-sector employees, a move that will entitle them to rights such as paid sick leave, mandatory annual leave of seven to 14 days and protection against wrongful dismissal.This means the Employment Act (EA) will no longer have a salary cap of $4,500 a month.The move is among four categories of major changes Parliament approved yesterday and which will take effect in April next year.The others are: Giving extra protection to more rank-and-file workers, improving the employment dispute resolution framework and giving employers greater flexibility to, say, compensate staff for working on public holidays.With no salary cap, the Act will cover the growing pool of professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs). But it will not cover public servants, domestic workers and seafarers, who are covered separately under other laws.A major change in the expanded law is protection given to more workers under the section known as Part IV. This section sets out extra protection for rank-and-file workers in areas such as working hours, and payment for overtime work and rest days.For rank-and-file white-collar workers, or non-workmen, the monthly salary threshold has been raised from $2,500 to $2,600, a move that brings another 100,000 workers under Part IV protection.

But for workmen - manual or blue-collar workers - Part IV protection will continue to cover those earning up to $4,500 a month.

Manpower Minister Josephine Teo, in introducing the Employment (Amendment) Bill for debate yesterday, said the updates - work on which began in 2012 - were to reflect the changing profile of Singapore's labour force and employment practices.Back in 1968, when the law came into existence, managers and executives were a very small part of the workforce, she noted."Today, with the proportion of PMETs... expected to make up two-thirds of our local workforce by 2030, it is timely to make a more fundamental change to the coverage of the EA," she said.This is why the salary cap of $4,500 will be removed, and this will benefit an additional 430,000 managers and executives.

Wednesday, 21 November 2018

The Straits Times, 21 Nov 2018BEIJING • Beijing's municipal government will assign citizens and firms "personal trustworthiness points" by 2021, state media reported yesterday, pioneering China's controversial plan for a "social credit" system to monitor citizens and businesses.The system's roll-out has attracted international headlines, sparking comparisons to George Orwell's novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, with critics saying it could massively heighten the Chinese Communist Party's already strict control over society.In a roadmap released in 2014, China had said it would by 2021 create a "social credit system" to reward or punish individuals and corporations using technology to record various measures of financial credit, personal behaviour and corporate misdeeds.But it had not made any mention of using points, as proposed by Beijing's municipal government in a new plan released on Monday to improve the city's business environment.Lists of data, actions and measures will be used to create a trial system of "personal trustworthiness points" for residents and companies in the Chinese capital. The term used can also be translated as "creditworthiness" or "integrity".The plan did not include details of how the point system would work.

But, it said, information from the system could impact market access, public services, travel, employment and the ability to start businesses, with trustworthy individuals being provided a "green channel" and those who are blacklisted being "unable to move a step"."This is an important novel approach by Beijing to assess individuals' credit and to tie it to their whole life," China's official Xinhua news agency cited an unnamed official from the municipal state planner as saying.The plan should serve as an example to the rest of the nation on how to improve the behaviour of individuals and businesses, Xinhua said.

ASEAN has invested in its next generation and worked on building a more secure region this year, but much more remains to be done, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday as Singaporehanded the role of chairman to Thailand.At a media conference wrapping up this week's summits, PM Lee outlined some of ASEAN's key achievements this year, and said Singapore will continue to help shepherd the flagship ASEAN Smart Cities Network and work closely with subsequent chairs to enhance it and increase the number of participating cities.By the time Singapore next chairs the group in 2028, ASEAN will likely be the world's fourth-largest economy, he noted, adding that while prospects are bright overall, there are challenges to be overcome."The free, open and rules-based multilateral order which has underpinned ASEAN's growth and stability is fraying, and big power competition is pulling ASEAN member states in different directions," he said."At the same time we are also facing non-traditional transnational issues such as digital technologies and climate change, and these require closer cooperation."In the face of such challenges, PM Lee outlined three targets he hoped ASEAN would achieve in the next decade: Deeper economic integration, enhanced unity so as to more effectively engage its major partners, and populations equipped with skills needed for new jobs in the digital economy.

To achieve these broad goals, ASEAN will need to comprehensively lower trade barriers and significantly increase trade with each other, he said."Also, we need, urgently, massive infrastructure investments in connectivity and productive capacity over the next 10 years in many of the ASEAN countries, and economic integration will help that happen," he added.Strengthening its centrality and unity is key, PM Lee said, because as ASEAN becomes more cohesive, it can engage its partners in a coherent way and it would be worth their while to do business with ASEAN.As for training its people, PM Lee said ASEAN should take advantage of the digital revolution to ensure the interoperability of digital systems within the region - that is, the digital systems developed in one country can be used in others too."Many countries are going to introduce these systems - it could be e-cash, government systems or data rules - and the more we can harmonise and bring them in line with one another, the more we can operate across borders and have a more integrated economy," he said.Recapping the highlights of this week's summits, PM Lee noted the substantial progress on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership trade deal and the strong political commitment to conclude negotiations next year.

Leaders also expressed support for efforts towards the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, and discussed the South China Sea as well as the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar's Rakhine State.Myanmar has invited the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management to facilitate the repatriation of Rohingya refugees.

"ASEAN is ready to play an active and positive role... and will support efforts by all parties to work towards a comprehensive and durable solution," PM Lee said.At the summit's closing ceremony, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said Thailand would work on enhancing connectivity and sustainable development.

He called on members to "collaborate even more closely". But growing economic cooperation must also come with "due consideration to balance and benefits for the people", he added, pledging to help enhance ASEAN's role in tackling global issues like climate change.

Thursday, 15 November 2018

Facebook refuses to remove a post making allegations against Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the Government in relation to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal
By Zhaki Abdullah, The Straits Times, 14 Nov 2018Facebook has said it does not have a policy that prohibits alleged fake news, after calls to remove a post making allegations against Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the Government in relation to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.Despite a request to do so by the Infocomm Development Media Authority (IMDA), the social media giant refused to take down a post by sociopolitical site States Times Review, which linked to an article on its site.The Nov 5 article - titled "Lee Hsien Loong becomes 1MDB's key investigation target" - suggested Malaysia had signed several unfair agreements with Singapore in exchange for Singapore banks' assistance in laundering 1MDB funds.The IMDA also issued a notice to States Times Review to take down the article by 5pm last Friday, which the website failed to do. The authority said the article is considered prohibited content under the Internet Code of Practice, as it had undermined public confidence in the Government's integrity.In response to queries from The Straits Times on why it had not acceded to IMDA's request, a Facebook spokesman said it had a responsibility to handle any government request to restrict alleged misinformation "carefully and thoughtfully", and that this is consistent with its approach to government requests elsewhere.However, she added that Facebook does not have a policy that prohibits alleged falsehoods, "apart from in situations where this content has the potential to contribute to imminent violence or physical harm". Facebook did not explain how it determines whether or not a post spreads falsehoods or misinformation.The Law Ministry, which had described the States Times Review post as false and defamatory, had previously said Facebook's refusal to take down the post was proof of the need for legislation against deliberate online falsehoods.It added last night that given previous "public assurances that Facebook is committed to combating online falsehoods, we are disappointed that Facebook has not backed up its promises to combat online falsehoods with action".The Monetary Authority of Singapore has also filed a police report against the author of the States Times Review article, which it described as "baseless and defamatory".

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad yesterday, looking deep into the past, spoke of the strong ties between their two countries at a lunch to welcome the Malaysian leader on his first official visit to Singapore in his current stint as PM.In his speech at the Istana event, PM Lee noted that while the two-day official visit is Tun Dr Mahathir's first as Malaysia's seventh prime minister, Dr Mahathir is very familiar with Singapore.He has visited the Republic many times and also collaborated with it on projects with lasting benefits for both nations, PM Lee added, citing the Linggiu Dam in Johor and the Second Link in Tuas.Dr Mahathir, 93, led Malaysia for 22 years until 2003 and was re-elected in May this year.PM Lee, speaking at the lunch, said they had a good meeting and discussed ways to deepen cooperation."Malaysia is Singapore's closest neighbour, and vice versa. We are bound by geography and history. Our economies are extensively intertwined," PM Lee said.Also, Singapore and Malaysia are each other's second-largest trading partners, and Singapore is Malaysia's second-largest foreign investor."Our relationship is further strengthened by bonds of kinship, friendship and memories. We all have friends and relatives who live, study or work across the Causeway, and we feel at home when we visit each other," he added.Some of Singapore's Cabinet members were born and raised in Malaysia, PM Lee noted, while several Malaysian ministers were born here, or grew up or studied here."And when we are overseas, we can pick each other out by how similarly we speak, dress and behave. The connection is instant," he said.PM Lee said that for Singaporeans and Malaysians, himself included, many of their best memories were made in each other's countries."My first family trips with my parents were to Cameron Highlands," he recalled. "We would drive up to Kuala Lumpur, taking most of a day, and break journey overnight, staying at the Railway Station Hotel because I was interested in trains."He recounted how the following morning, the family would drive from KL to Cameron Highlands, stopping along the way at the town of Bidor in Perak for wonton noodles made with freshwater prawns caught in mining ponds.PM Lee noted that Dr Mahathir and his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, met in Singapore, studying at the King Edward VII College of Medicine, now part of the National University of Singapore.That was where they started their courtship, which led to a happy marriage of more than 60 years, he added."When we met in May 2018, Dr Mahathir spoke fondly about his time in the college and his old classmates whom he kept in touch with for many years, but had not seen for a while," he added."So I am happy that NUS will confer an Honorary Doctorate of Laws on Dr Mahathir tomorrow, and many of his old friends will be at the ceremony," he said yesterday.

Monday, 12 November 2018

It must know people's concerns, give them hope, bring them together and lead wellDPMs Teo Chee Hean, Tharman and 3 senior PAP members step down from Central Executive Committee
By Royston Sim, Deputy News Editor (Politics), The Straits Times, 12 Nov 2018

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday charted the path forward for the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), saying it must win the next general election convincingly by taking a centrist approach and uniting Singaporeans.The party has only two years left to prepare for the next election, said Mr Lee, who is PAP secretary-general, as he outlined four things it must do to maintain good politics and keep improving people's lives.He called on party members to understand and address Singaporeans' concerns, give people hope for the future, encourage inclusive politics and provide good leadership."We are setting a clear direction, supported by the broad mass of Singaporeans who want to see stability and progress continue for many years."He was at the party's biennial conference at Singapore Expo, where cadres elected a new central executive committee (CEC) - the PAP's top decision-making body."The new CEC will be leading the party into the final stretch, gearing up to put our record before voters," Mr Lee said.The new CEC also reflects a major transition for the party.It comprises largely fourth-generation leaders, with heavyweights such as Deputy Prime Ministers Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam stepping down.Education Minister Ong Ye Kung, labour chief Ng Chee Meng and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah were elected to the top 12 positions.Mr Lee said the CEC will meet "within a couple of weeks" to elect a new slate of office-holders, and observers expect the line-up to provide more clarity on who the country's next prime minister will be.

This will be followed by a Cabinet reshuffle in due course, he added.

Addressing about 3,000 party members, Mr Lee noted that many countries are under serious stress, from citizens who feel their lives are not improving and hot-button issues like immigration. Politics becomes polarised, and the country goes into a downward spiral.

Singapore has coped better than most countries, but "we should not take what we have for granted", he said, stressing the need to get both policies and politics right.

Noting that cohesion does not come naturally or easily to any society, Mr Lee said the PAP must keep Singaporeans together.

The party aims to be a broad tent, he said, highlighting the importance of finding common ground and maintaining a shared space where differences can be aired without eroding social cohesion.

"The PAP must strive to reconcile different views and interests, and work hard to strengthen confidence and trust between different groups," he said. "So that we can keep this a society with a broad middle ground, multiracial, multi-religious, tolerant and progressive."

The party must also understand the concerns of Singaporeans well, and help address their specific worries, he added.

He called on every party activist to play his part by complementing the Government's policies with a human touch.

"By showing voters that you personally care, it convinces them that the PAP cares, and the PAP government cares," he said.

Beyond that, the PAP must give Singaporeans hope about the future, Mr Lee added. One important aspect of this, he said, is social mobility - people believing they have every chance to improve their own lives and that of their children.Singapore's meritocracy has to be about helping one another reach their best, without holding back others who are doing better, he added.

Mr Lee also stressed how providing good leadership is key. The party has had two smooth political transitions so far, he said, providing both continuity and renewal.

He noted that the 4G leadership team has been in the Cabinet for several years now.They have been - and been tested - in several portfolios, and are learning to complement one another's strengths and weaknesses, he said, describing them as "a team of able men and women with a good combination of skills among them"."I can see them gelling as a team, and am confident that they have what it takes to lead Singapore."

Saturday, 10 November 2018

ESM Goh Chok Tong on why he decided to have his memoir writtenNote from founding prime minister and urging of five friends led him to agree to authorised biography
By Yasmine Yahya, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2018

Even before he became prime minister, Mr Goh Chok Tong had decided not to write his memoir.But a note from founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and the urging of five friends eventually persuaded him to agree to an authorised biography.The result is Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story, which was launched yesterday."I did not keep a diary of conversations and interactions with people," Emeritus Senior Minister Goh said in his speech at the book's launch."A memoir would be seeing events through my own eyes. Bias is inevitable."Moreover, unlike Mr Lee's fight for independence and struggle to build Singapore, meticulous notes were taken of my official meetings. Historians will not be bereft of materials," he added.But when Mr Lee gave him a copy of his memoir, From Third World To First: The Singapore Story, he added a note: "To PM Goh Chok Tong, You have to write the sequel to the Singapore Story."Mr Lee had also added the inscription: "With my hope that the lessons need not be paid again by the present generation of Singaporeans."It was signed on Sept 15, 1998, a day before Mr Lee's 75th birthday."When I reached 75, I became more acutely aware of my mortality and the weight of his message," Mr Goh, now 77, said. "Several friends had also asked me to write my memoir. Still, I said no. Then, five of my senior grassroots leaders suggested an authorised biography."These long-time grassroots leaders and personal friends - Patrick Ng, Ng Hock Lye, Chua Ee Chek, Kok Pak Chow and Tan Jack Thian - would commission someone to write, Mr Goh said."The author would do the heavy lifting - the research, interviews and the writing. The idea of someone looking in from the outside, and unlocking my inner memory, appealed to me."That writer, chosen by Mr Goh, was Mr Peh Shing Huei, a former news editor at The Straits Times and the co-founder of content agency The Nutgraf."Today's occasion belongs to Peh Shing Huei, the writer. I am merely the subject," Mr Goh said.

"Several names were suggested as my possible biographers. I chose Peh Shing Huei. I like his easy-to-read, unpretentious, questions-and-answers style."Mr Peh and his Nutgraf team did the research, while Mr Goh answered his questions candidly. "We checked and verified my recall of events as necessary," he added.

Mr Goh also asked The Straits Times editor-at-large Han Fook Kwang to be a member of Mr Peh's team. "I valued his shrewdness and insights (into) Singapore politics. He proved invaluable," he added.

"Peh has done a good job in writing up my life till November 1990, when I became prime minister. I am happy with the product. Readers' feedback is positive. There will be a volume 2."

In his speech, Mr Peh said he started work on the book a year ago "with more than a bit of trepidation". "For too long, since ESM Goh stepped down as PM in 2004, many Singaporeans had been wondering when he would write his memoir. We all waited. One year became five and eventually, today, 14 years.

"So I knew there were high expectations for this book. We all wanted to know what were his thoughts about global leaders, international affairs and, of course, local politics," he said.

Mr Peh recounted his mounting anxiety before his first interview with Mr Goh, as he had prepared a list of "silly personal questions", such as why Mr Goh did not play basketball despite his impressive height, what he ate at home when he was young and whether his wife was his first girlfriend - all of which are answered in the book.

Mr Peh said Mr Goh answered the questions patiently and even praised Mr Peh for them because the questions forced him to look back and recall things like what he ate as a child. "The answer, by the way, is tau geh, tau kwa, tau pok, kangkung. Not the most exciting dishes," Mr Peh quipped.

He added: "So, thank you, ESM for your patience and for sharing your life with me and my team at The Nutgraf. We are most honoured to be able to tell your story and play our role in telling the Singapore Story."

Both Mr Peh and Mr Goh also gave special thanks to Mr Bernard Toh, Mr Goh's special assistant, and Mr Heng Aik Yeow, his press secretary.

Mr Goh said the duo not only sat in on all the interviews and gave useful comments, but also chased up additional materials and pored over photographs to select the most appropriate ones for the book.

"Sometimes, what I found interesting, they did not. This reinforces my point that an authorised biography is better than an autobiography," he said.There will be another book launch for charity on Nov 21, to raise funds for two groups of disadvantaged children: people with disabilities and disadvantaged students with poor grades.

Friday, 9 November 2018

New moves to spur students to develop their abilitiesDirect School Admission (DSA) scheme made easier; NUS, NTU tweak entry criteria for poly grads
By Sandra Davie, Senior Education Correspondent, The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2018More changes are under way to the Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme and the university admission scoring system to encourage students to develop their talents in a range of fields, regardless of their family backgrounds.From next year, all schools offering Secondary 1 places through DSA will use a centralised online portal, which means that pupils need to fill in only one online form to apply to multiple schools. Applications through the portal will be free, removing the barrier of a $20-$50 fee that some schools currently charge.Also, from 2020, the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) will drop the 20 per cent weighting given to O-level results for polytechnic graduate applicants. Instead, they will be assessed primarily on their polytechnic grade point average - a more current reflection of the skills they have picked up. But students can continue to submit O-level results relevant to the course of study as additional information.The other four publicly funded universities have already moved beyond O-level results - except when they are directly relevant - in admitting students.Second Minister for Education Indranee Rajah, who announced the changes yesterday, said they would enable students with different learning styles to be evaluated more holistically. "It also better recognises late bloomers, and creates more opportunities for those who flourish after discovering their interest when they are older," she said.NUS, NTU and the Singapore Management University can offer up to 15 per cent of their yearly undergraduate places through the Discretionary Admission Scheme, which considers the abilities of students beyond their academic results.On the change to the DSA, Ms Indranee revealed that this year, 3,000 Primary 6 pupils who applied for places through the scheme - which was widened this year - have received confirmed offers. This is 500 more than last year.The selection process for the scheme has also been refined to spot talent, even in those who have not had the chance to showcase it yet. There will be less emphasis on the awards a pupil has won - say, in the arts - and more on innate ability.Ms Indranee said schools no longer administer academic ability tests during DSA selection. "Doing so brings our schools' DSA process and objectives back to the original intention of recognising specific talents, not general academic talent."

By using a single portal for applications and bringing the focus back to talent, the ministry hopes to offset the head start that "better resourced" pupils currently get.

"Those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds... may not be as well informed about some of the choices and opportunities available," said Ms Indranee. "So what we're really trying to do is close the gap, and make sure those less well resourced and less advantaged still have the opportunity to apply."